


Estrapade

by Tigerkid14



Series: Aureate August 2018 [23]
Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-24 00:31:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15618465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tigerkid14/pseuds/Tigerkid14
Summary: Claudia is having a rough time adjusting to being the Caretaker and Helena has had enough





	Estrapade

**Author's Note:**

> AureateAugust Day 23: Refractory – adj., stubborn or unmanageable; resistant to a process or stimulus

“Ah, yeah, you don’t want to go that way.” Pete caught them on the stairs heading towards the main office as he was clearly fleeing from that space.

“Why? Did Artie break out the limburger again?” Myka asked absently as she shifted to the side to let him pass, her arms full of books, the top one already propped open. Behind her on the stairs Helena automatically reached up a hand to steady her while looking to Pete for an answer.

“Nope, Claudia’s going off again. I’ll be in the Pete Cave until further notice.” He was moving swiftly and stopping for no one.

They finished going up the stairs and as they approached the office both of them could hear the raised voices, well, one voice primarily, resounding from the enclosed space even with the door closed. Helena gave Myka a querying look as they listened, able to hear about half of what was being said fairly clearly.

“Would we be better served waiting until they are done or should we go interrupt their little tête-à-tête?” She asked the question lightly, knowing that the curiosity about what was going on would drive both of them into the room eventually when she heard part of what was being shouted and stiffened.

“What?” Myka asked in concern, juggling her books to one arm so she could reach out, but Helena shook her head.

“That is quite enough of that,” she said firmly and reached for the doorknob, opening the door and stepping determinately into the room, Myka following, and hastily setting her books down on the nearest table as soon as she cleared the door.

Neither of the combatants noticed their entry, but she took in the lopsided nature of the argument and said just one word. “Claudia.” Her tone was mild, but Claudia rounded on her immediately.

“What?” She demanded.

Helena blinked and though the rest of her features remained relatively still apparently whatever Claudia saw in them was enough to get through whatever was causing her to act like this currently because she snapped her mouth shut and took a quick step back from Helena.

Helena regarded her for a long, silent moment, her gaze cool and calm, but suddenly Claudia found the floor interesting and even Artie had the sense not to break the silence.

“Righty-ho then.” She turned to Myka. “Darling, would you mind terribly much if you rode back to the B&B with Pete today?”

Myka caught on at once. “No, not at all.” She dug the car keys out of her pocket and handed them over with a look that managed to convey both her affection and a quiet plea for Helena to be gentle.

Helena acknowledge the plea and conveyed her own affection with a look and a slight smile before striding forward and taking hold of Claudia’s arm, catching the younger woman off guard and easily pulling her along towards the door to the exit. “Come along, darling. We’ll be home late.” She called that last over her shoulder as she went through the door, propelling Claudia ahead of her.

“HG, what, I—“ Claudia tried to protest.

“No dawdling.” She could feel Claudia’s reluctance and resistance but didn’t let up the pressure on her arm until they had exited the Warehouse and were standing by Myka’s car. Helena unlocked it and opened the passenger door for Claudia, propelling her towards the seat, but at this Claudia balked.

“Whoa, hey, no. What is this?”

“Get in the car, darling. We’re going for a ride.”

“Where?” Claudia was cautious but her tone still held the edge of anger not yet relinquished.

Helena looked at her again, her gaze direct and uncompromising. Claudia was angry and stubborn, she wasn’t stupid. She got in the car, leaving Helena to swing the door shut before she walked around to get in on the driver’s side.

They drove in silence for quite some time. Claudia made one attempt to turn on the radio, but Helena gently caught her hand on the way to the controls and lowered it for her, and after that she kept her hands in her lap and stared out the window in brooding silence, not even playing with her phone as if part of her sensed that might not be allowed either.

They drove far. The tank of the car must have been at least half full because Myka was a bit type A about that, but after about an hour they stopped for gas, which had the added advantage of providing them both with a restroom break. Then they kept driving for a little while longer.

When Helena finally pulled over, they were in the middle of nowhere, hours from anything that could be even remotely considered civilization (Claudia certainly didn’t consider that gas station to be civilization). But Helena exited the car, came around to the passenger side, and opened Claudia’s door, gesturing for her to get out as well, which Claudia did, reluctantly.

“Your mobile phone, please.” Helena held out her hand expectantly.

“This isn’t the part where you abandon me in the middle of nowhere and leave me to die is it? Because if it is, I’d much rather have my phone on me.” Claudia asked the question nervously.

“No, this is the part where you hand your phone over to me as instructed.” There was that tone again, the one that made Claudia want to bristle but which also felt so comforting, like she could relax into it and let go. Claudia considered the expression on Helena’s face and handed over her phone, which Helena promptly tossed onto the passenger seat of the car. She then shut the car door, locked the car, and secured the key in her pocket before turning expectantly to Claudia.

“Now, this is the time where we are away from all distractions, all the people who would interfere, well intentioned or not, no immediate sources of food or water, and you have no real way to get away from things. So,” she crossed her arms and looked intently at Claudia, “you can start by telling me why you were mad at Artie this afternoon, and then we can move on to your behavior in general of late.”

Claudia’s temper flared instantly. “I don’t have to tell you anything and I certainly don’t have to stand here and take this. I can walk back if I want.”

“Go ahead,” Helena gestured at the long road. “I imagine it will take you quite some time just to get to the gas station we stopped at, and by the time you get there, they’re likely to be closed for the night. If you manage a good pace, you might make it back to the Warehouse by tomorrow morning, provided you don’t pass out from lack of food or water along the way. You might even get lucky and manage to get picked up by a passing vehicle, though you can’t be sure of safety if it comes to that.”

Temper held Claudia upright and indignant for a few moments more before she deflated, looking around at the long road stretching out seemingly forever in both directions and at the terrain around them with a growing sense of inevitability. She wasn’t trapped necessarily, but there weren’t any good options, and the only one that might get her out of here without having to walk all night was talking to HG, who was still waiting for an answer to her question, and who looked prepared to wait all night if she had to.

“I don’t know,” Claudia finally said, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort as she gave in.

“You don’t know?” Helena questioned, uncrossing her arms and going to lean against the car, but giving Claudia her full attention.

“Well, I know what he did that set me off, but I don’t know _why_ I went off. Like, it seems so stupid now. It seemed stupid then, but I couldn’t help but feel so angry and I couldn’t figure out how to stop myself from being angry and then I was going off and I couldn’t stop that either. At least,” she glanced quickly at HG then away again, “not until you came in and…” she trailed off in embarrassment, remembering the moment now.

“I see.” Helena considered the young woman who did look genuinely confused and a little forlorn, standing by the side of the road hugging herself, before sighing and opening her arms, gesturing for Claudia to come to her.

Claudia moved towards her, needing the comfort, and just glad that HG wasn’t giving her one of those terrifying looks she’d been using earlier, the ones that made the bottom of her stomach drop out. When she was close enough HG folded her arms around Claudia and just quietly held her, until eventually Claudia had her arms wrapped tightly around HG in return and was nestled against her.

Helena kept her arms around Claudia as she quietly said, “You weren’t have these problems with your temper before you were bonded with the Warehouse.” She felt Claudia stiffen so she purposefully kept her body relaxed, though she didn’t release her arms, keeping Claudia against her for the moment while she processed the thought.

She went on quietly, “I’ve done a lot of reading and talking with Abigail and Myka and I was wondering if you’ve ever studied anything about the stages of grief?” Now she loosened her hold, not letting go, but making it easier for Claudia to step out of it if she wanted to.

Claudia stayed where she was, pressed against HG and thinking. “You think I’m grieving Mrs. Frederic and that’s setting me off.”

“Maybe,” Helena allowed, “or maybe the Warehouse is grieving her and that’s ‘setting you off’.”

Claudia leaned back so she could see HG’s face, but her expression was contemplative rather than argumentative, so Helena took that as a positive sign and pressed on. “We’ve both seen signs that the Warehouse has some sentience and it feels thing deeply and strongly. While it’s accepted the transition, it may be missing her too.”

Claudia sighed and shifted around so that she was leaning against the car instead of HG, though she stayed pressed against her side. “You know, that makes a whacky sort of sense. So what do I do?”

“Talk to Abigail.” Helena said immediately. “Talk to the Warehouse, I know you are able to do that.” She quirked an eyebrow at Claudia who didn’t deny it. “And work on distinguishing between what feelings are yours and which are the Warehouse’s so you can better handle what is happening. And you will apologize to Artie and everyone for your behavior of late.” Her voice grew firm on the last sentence.

“What?!” Claudia jerked upright in indignation, but Helena just gave her that same level look, the one she’d been utilizing all afternoon and Claudia’s good sense reasserted itself. “I have been kind of a jerk lately, haven’t I?”

“Yes, you have,” Helena agreed. “I and everyone else respect how you’re feeling. We respect how the Warehouse is feeling. But that is no excuse for your behavior of late and it’s inappropriate for you to take it out on us, especially when you’ve been avoiding dealing with how you’re feeling.” She gave Claudia a pointed look.

Claudia nodded her head in acceptance. “I’m sorry, HG. I’ll work on it.”

“Thank you,” Helena wrapped her arm around Claudia and gave her a sideways hug. “Are you ready to go back and actually face things now?”

“Yeah,” Claudia stood up, brushing the dust from the car off her clothes and looking around. “Was it really necessary to come all the way out here,” she gestured at the wide expanse of nothingness around them, “to have this conversation?”

“Absolutely. You’ve been avoiding this for weeks and I decided the only way to deal with it was to run away with you so you’d have nowhere to run away to in order to get away from the discussion. Besides, I heard what you said to Artie and _I_ needed the drive to be calm enough to talk.”  
Claudia winced. “HG--”

“It’s Artie you need to apologize to, not me.” Helena cut her off. “And start working with the Warehouse instead of fighting it. I think that will solve your biggest problem.”

Claudia’s mouth quirked into a small smile. “Am I fighting it or is it fighting me?”

“Yes,” Helena replied, pulling the key out of her pocket and unlocking the car. “Figure out a way to work together.”

“Got it.” Claudia opened her own door this time, picking up her cell phone as she slid into the car. “You do know that technically I’m your boss, right? So kidnapping me and threatening to abandon me in the middle of nowhere is probably not the appropriate sort of thing to do.” She grinned mischievously as she said it.

Helena laughed as she started the car. “You do know that I’m the only person standing between you and a very long walk home, right? So sassing me is probably not a good idea, at least not until you’re safely returned.”

They pulled back onto to the road.

“Can we stop for food?” Claudia asked. “There was a diner we passed about an hour back that looked interesting.”

“The one advertising all the desserts,” Helena nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Yeah,” Claudia agreed, “I’m suddenly in the mood for apple pie.” Her smile was wistful.

Helena reached over and put a hand on her leg, gently squeezing. “Me too, darling. Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Estrapade, n. the attempt by a horse to throw its rider


End file.
